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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · kick · sharp · mouse · court · press · current · scale

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. scale — in music
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. sharp — clever
  8. press — newspapers
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. court — of a king
  11. stand — to bear
  12. press — to push
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. court — of law
  16. press — a publisher
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. current — happening now
  24. court — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com